The Competitor Next Door - ' Eckerd Base Technologies'
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Eckerd is building an inventory management system, using mostly off-the-shelf software and hardware. The aim: Make sure stores are stocked properly, customer's shopping habits are recorded and profits are maximized.
| APPLICATION |
PRODUCT USED |
SUPPLIER |
| Inventory optimization and planning |
Retek Demand Forecasting. Planned upgrade: Retek Allocation |
Retek |
| Merchandise operations |
Retek Merchandising System, Retek Sales Audit. Planned upgrade: Retek Trade Management |
Retek |
| Workflow and business-process management |
Retek Active Retail Intelligence |
Retek |
| Wireless network for stores |
Spectrum24 Access Point |
Symbol Technologies |
| Mobile computers for stores |
Symbol PDT 3140 (Portable Data Terminal 3100 Series) |
Symbol Technologies |
| Store receiving terminals |
Maxspeed 8300 |
Maxspeed |
| Point of sale technology (scanning cash registers) |
IBM 4690 |
IBM |
| Collaborative planning, forecasting and replenishment |
Collaborative planner |
Worldwide Retail Exchange |
| Data warehouse software |
Oracle 8.0.5, running on IBM NUMA-Q server |
Oracle, IBM |
| Mainframe database |
IMS (being phased out), DB2 |
IBM |
| Database integration tool |
DataJoiner |
IBM |
| Job scheduling |
Maestro (also known as Tivoli Workload Scheduler) |
IBM's Tivoli unit |
| Operating Systems |
The Retek server software runs on IBM NUMA-Q servers, with the Dynix/ptx 4.4.8 operating system. Two application servers and two Oracle database servers run in parallel, with a fail-over capability that allows one to take over if the other malfunctions. The Oracle data warehouse also runs on the NUMA-Q/Dynix platform.
Eckerd's mainframe environment is an IBM G5, running OS/390 v2.10 operating system, plus applications based on COBOL, DB2, IMS, CICS, VSAM, and MQSeries. The mainframe also hosts applications based on Computer Associates' Easytrieve and the SAS analytical database. While Eckerd has moved away from wholesale outsourcing, the mainframe is still managed by IBM at its data center in Lexington, KY.
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| SOURCES: Eckerd, IHL Consulting |
Projects: Supply Chain 
